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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24377947">it’s bloody and raw but i swear it is sweet</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/sapphfics/pseuds/sapphfics'>sapphfics</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Andrew Hozier-Byrne (Musician), Christian Bible (Old Testament), From Eden - Hozier (Music Video)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>...i have no excuse for this, Crimes &amp; Criminals, F/M, Gen, Gun Violence, Happy Murder Family, Religious Imagery &amp; Symbolism</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 01:16:19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,716</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24377947</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/sapphfics/pseuds/sapphfics</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>He first meets her beneath a tree. </p><p>The tree is bright and lush and looming over them both; it’s late summer, early evening, and fallen twigs from children playing with swords make a loud crunch beneath her heeled boots. She's trying to carve her initials into the wood with a penknife. She’s still wearing her sunglasses, though, and only lifts them for a second to look him in the eye.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Eve/Lucifer (Christian Bible), The Man/The Woman, the Man &amp; the Child, the Woman &amp; the Child</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>it’s bloody and raw but i swear it is sweet</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/IoanNemos/gifts">IoanNemos</a>, <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/clizzyhours/gifts">clizzyhours</a>.</li>


        <li>
            Inspired by

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/20590154">Nothing Gold Can Stay</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/IoanNemos/pseuds/IoanNemos">IoanNemos</a>.
        </li>

    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>for the person who inspired this work (i’m sorry if you hate it) and for my beloved rosalia, who told me to keep writing it &lt;333333333</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.</p><p>— Isaiah 59:2</p><p>-:-</p><p>He first meets her beneath a tree. </p><p>The tree is bright and lush and looming over them both; it’s late summer, early evening, and fallen twigs from children playing with swords make a loud crunch beneath her heeled boots. She's trying to carve her initials into the wood with a penknife. She’s still wearing her sunglasses, though, and only lifts them for a second to look him in the eye. </p><p>Despite the time, it’s a busy park with a crowd around them and too much noise that he probably shouldn't be able to focus on her so intently, but she is not afraid to meet his eyes, so he notices her instantly. </p><p>He’s got a gun in his back pocket and there is a man holding her hand like he’s afraid she’ll run off if he lets her go for even a second. The man is dressed in a suit and tie even though it’s eighty five degrees and looks excessively cowardly. He dislikes the man instantly. </p><p>“Adam,” She mutters but doesn’t turn from him. She has a lovely voice, melodic and crisp, clear and calm despite her obvious discomfort. At least to him, it’s obvious, and he isn’t sure why he cares so much. </p><p>Only then does he stop and finally realise he’s close enough to her that he can hear what she’s saying and turns his back in near shame. Shame is as foreign to him as safety, but he still feels it. </p><p>He doesn’t move his hand from his gun. He can’t lose focus. The bank will be closed soon and they won’t find him and by morning he’ll be gone three towns over and buying a house for everyone who needs one. His phone buzzes and he unlocks it to find an airdropped photo of an apple that’s as red as blood. He frowns and the woman laughs. He forgot he even had airdrop on but doesn’t turn it off just yet. </p><p>The man beside the woman, Adam apparently, eventually gives up his grip on her, yells something unintelligible at her, and shoves her harshly away before looking at his hands and storming off. He seems not intent on making a scene; Adam must know it’s wrong otherwise he wouldn’t be trying to hide it. The woman brushes herself off like this is an everyday occurrence and he reaches for his gun again. </p><p>All it would take was two shots to the back of the head. No one would miss him, and he’s counted every exit point in this park four times over. He could get out. He should. </p><p>Do it. Do it for her, he thinks. She should be free. </p><p>He doesn’t take the shot. He also knows that it is best not to cause a scene in public, that killings should be done in the dark on the fourth of July when the excessive fireworks will cover the sound of gunfire. </p><p>The woman seems relieved Adam is gone. She lets out a small sigh, smiles at him politely. </p><p>He wonders why she hasn’t turned away yet. </p><p>She checks that Adam is out of eyesight before approaching him. He reflexivity reaches for his gun in case she’s just an informant with a very pretty face or something but then she grins at him. </p><p>“You’ve been watching me,” She notes. “My name’s Eve, but my boyfriend wouldn’t like me telling you that.” </p><p>“And yet here you are, doing it anyway,” He says, almost vindicated that she is disobeying the whims of Adam the accursed. She looks slightly despondent at his apparent rejection until he grins back. “I’m Lucifer. Friends call me Luci.”</p><p>“I can see why,” She says and giggles. “Lucifer must be a hard name to live with. He doesn’t like me making friends that aren’t him. He hates apples too, by the way. So I couldn’t show him what I ate for lunch today. So I showed you.” </p><p>“Thank you for the photos, they were very well taken.” He isn’t sure why, but Eve makes him feel at ease. His hand moves away from the gun. “Anyway, my name could’ve been way worse. I have a cousin named Serpent.” </p><p>Eve claps a hand over her mouth in mock shock. “You’re joking?”</p><p>He shrugs again. “My family’s weird.”</p><p>“Sounds it,” Eve remarks. Her phone buzzes. “That’s Adam. I guess I’d better get home.”</p><p>The word home coming from her mouth sounds like she’s speaking of prison. He’s only known her a few moments but he thinks he can see why. </p><p>She leaves him her number as she walks in front of him to her bus; places it in his back pocket with her chipped fingernails. He smiles to himself as she walks away, saving the number to his personal phone. </p><p>He doubts he’ll ever call her. She’s got a boyfriend and a life that doesn’t need the chaos of a man who robs from banks to give to the poor. And he doesn’t want her, he only wants to save her from the life he believes is making her miserable. </p><p>As he checks the barrel of his gun that night and can’t stop picturing her dark hair, the softness in her eyes, her laughter. He would like to hear her sing, and he would like to know her views on the world and he would like to know her. He swallows and shuts his eyes, focuses on the job at hand.</p><p>He clears out the whole vault in less than an hour and doesn’t set off a single alarm. </p><p>-:- </p><p>After he robs the bank, she’s waiting for him in a car four blocks over. </p><p>“Get in,” She tells him. It’s an offering, he knows, but it sounds like a command and he doesn’t feel like running much longer. It’s got tinted windows. He doesn’t have to hide in the trunk like he usually does, soaking in his own sweat until he gets to a safer place. </p><p>He pulls his mask off, runs a hand through his hair. “How did you know it was me?”</p><p>“Next time you rob a bank, maybe turn off Find my IPhone,” She shrugs and that’s an answer enough. He’s never believed in fate, but maybe this chance encounter was meant to be. “I’m not turning you in, don’t worry. But you’re gonna stay at mine tonight, okay?”</p><p>He nods because it seems he doesn’t have much of a choice in the matter. </p><p>-:- </p><p>It turns out, Adam and Eve live in a lovely apartment in the richer side of town. There’s a spacious garden full of flowers and a large swimming pool and their guest room could fit his whole childhood house inside it four times and still have room to spare. Even the tiles of the bathroom floor are heated. He’s never been anywhere nicer but still it puts him on edge. It feels like a facade just waiting to crumble down. </p><p>“Is Adam a billionaire or something?” He finds himself asking aloud. </p><p>“Close. Billionaire's only son. His dad is very invested in his eldest son,” Eve tells him. “He finances all of this as long as Adam keeps up his end of the bargain.” </p><p>He doesn’t ask what bargain or what it entails because it’s none of his business and with any luck he’ll be gone by morning or earlier. </p><p>-:- </p><p>There’s an empty house across the street that’s vacant and empty as a robbed tomb. It unsettles him even though he’s only staring at it through the window to avoid her eyes. </p><p>That night, he hears a child scream. He runs to the house and rescues the child inside. The child’s name is Seth and he’s tiny and skinny and he’s been left in that house all alone for two days. In the dark light, Lucifer can almost see his own eyes reflected back at him. It frightens him. </p><p>“<i>Please</i>, help me,” The child begs and he listens. Puts Seth in the backseat of the car and tries to drive away without telling her.</p><p>He seems to forget whose car it is. She’s waiting for him, of course, with a suitcase and the sun is setting. He’s flooded with adrenaline, and they’ll be three states over by morning.</p><p>“What are you doing?” He asks, even though he already knows.</p><p>She takes his hand. “Going with you, obviously.”</p><p>“You have a whole life here-“</p><p>“Adam can’t give me a life. He can give me his father’s vision of a life, where I dress pretty and shut up and raise his children without complaint. But with you...I can see something more. Plus, the car’s registered in my name and I doubt you want to add felony to your recent bank robberies.”</p><p>He chuckles. One day he might tell her about the myriad of crimes he’s committed. Maybe he won’t. She reminds him of himself in his terrible childhood, longing for escape and grabbing at it the way a drowning man downs seawater. “Alright. If that’s what you want.”</p><p>She kisses him then, determined and eager and as she drives them somewhere new, he notices Seth’s small smile. No matter what happens, that smile is worth all the pain he’s been through. </p><p>-:- </p><p>“Adam won’t notice I’m gone for at least a month,” She tells him. “My family’s gone. Just him. So, we have time.”</p><p>“Mine too,” He admits. </p><p>They’ve been driving for hours; the sun is rising in his rear view mirror. There are no trees on this road, only cacti and brown fields. Seth is asleep, using Eve’s jacket as a pillow. </p><p>He pulls the car over in a closed motel parking lot and she kisses him again. Eve keys the license plate with her penknife, changes some of the numbers. He could get used to this, to having someone near him, to having something like a family.</p><p>He’s getting ahead of himself, he knows, but he thinks this could work. </p><p>“The suitcase has all of Adam’s cash that I could find. But when that runs out…”</p><p>He pulls the gun from his pocket and she smirks. “Don’t worry about that, Eve. I have a plan.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>idk what this is....follow @ camilleseverin on twitter/tumblr if u feel like it</p></blockquote></div></div>
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